Kohler Rialto K-3402 toilet fill valve repair

Users who are viewing this thread

tombrock

New Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Virginia
Low Cost fix

You can buy a Fluidmaster Universal Adjustable Anti-Siphon Fill valve from Lowes for less than $8 and clip the new clear fill tube using the supplied white clip to the edge of the original large diameter bowl wash tube that you disconnect from the original valve and leave in the unit in the unit. Just make sure the new tube points into the old tube correctly to prevent back spray. This has worked very well for me. I can Email a picture of the installation if anyone wants one.

Make sure the 3" flapper for the flush opening seals properly or the unit will leak into the bowl and cause the fill valve to cycle periodically. Many aftermarket flappers do not seal properly.
 

deanalt

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
California
Still problems

Over the last 1.5 years, occasionally I would hear this toilet hissing again. I would try more vaseline and that would usually help for a couple of months (I was advised that vaseline is not a good longer term solution). Now it has come back again and apparently I put too much vaseline on and that made the flapper seal even worse, and the old siphoning noise and no shut off symptoms came back again. So, I took all the vaseline off and that helped although it is still hissing.

I am confused in that, with the right amount of vaseline, the toilet works perfectly. You would think that means that the problem must be in how the flapper seals, right? As quickly as the tank fills up, unless that fit is really bad, you would think the noise would shut down for a few seconds, even if, after say 20 seconds, the bad seal would cause it to need to restart, wouldm't you. But it seems like it just does not shut off completely at all, sometimes.

What can explain this? If i lift the arm that the float ball is attached to , that definitely stops all noise.

Does anyone know if Kohler has finally found a good replacement manufacturer for this fill valve? Should I try another fill valve? Or maybe first, another flapper? Is the Korky flapper better than the Kohler one, perhaps?

Thanks
Dean
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
Petrolium products and (most) rubber do NOT mix, and you'll ruin the rubber. If the seat where the flapper valve fits is not smooth and conforming to the flapper, it will leak. Defective flapper valves (those that don't have a nice even rim) can be caused by improper storage, or bad design, or poor quality control during manufacture. Now, it is possible that the whole assembly is not tight and it is leaking around the seal on the bottom. Often, though, if that is the case, it can leak onto the floor, but could just leak down the hole into the bowl.

If the fill valve needs to run to refill the toilet, it must be leaking somewhere! Unless the fill valve is not shutting off and water is going out the overflow because the tank level is too high, it is almost always the flapper (in toilets with flappers, anyway). Excessive water pressure can cause some toilet fill valves to 'weep', or continue to run. But then, it would be eventually getting high enough to go out the overflow.
 

Terry

The Plumbing Wizard
Staff member
Messages
29,946
Reaction score
3,460
Points
113
Location
Bothell, Washington
Website
terrylove.com
from hj

A new flapper and a 1B-1X fill valve makes them as good as new. The 1B-1X does not need the lower float. It uses a diversion valve to send a portion of the flow to the rim to assist with the flush. You cut the original plastic rim hose off and insert the smaller one from the 1B-1X into it.

attachment.php
 

deanalt

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
California
Thanks Jadnashua and Terry! As i posted 1.5 yrs ago in this thread (as deanalt, not deana), my plumber did use that very 1-B1-x valve but, during installation, even with the new flapper, which is roundish not flat where it seals by the way, he could never get the toilet to shutoff. Eventually, after two return visits, the plumber simply lost interest and blamed the bad design of the Rialto and/or the tube/seat where the flapper sits as maybe being uneven. I don't recall if, at the time, Kohler had no replacement for that seat or just that it seemed like a major job and my plumber couldn't promise me anything would help, but we didn't try to replace it! To the extent it is leaking, it is NOT leaking outside the toilet (thank god, because the bathroom has padding and carpet!).

Although I do know we have hard water, I have no reason to assume the valve is not working correctly. Occasionally, I do see water dripping out of the top of the valve while the tank is filling and am not sure if this is bad or intended. I could take it apart and recheck it, if that seems to be worth doing. In fact, I would love (no pun intended, Terry) if someone, looking at that photo, would tell me what all the screws (including the horizontal plastic bolt on the side) on that valve are for. At times, the toilet never shuts off and it is hard for me to fathom that the flapper seal is that bad. There must be something about the design of the valve adjustment arm that prevents it from fully shutting off, even if for just a few seconds. I try bending the arm, etc, and nothing seems to help! Clearly, i don't really know what I am doing. I never had these kinds of problems with my older toilets, and I am 57 years old! Sorry for the stream of consciousness!

That said, it sounds like the problem is in the flapper area. Maybe it was just poor quality control as jadnashua suggests (although I do recall switching it out with a used flapper from another same model toilet we have and that not helping, but maybe not). I seem to recall taking the new flapper back to the store and getting a replacement but am not sure (probably I just returned the valve). If so, the new flapper was no better. Ultimately, someone advised a thin coat of vaseline for a couple of weeks and that did, after a day or two, work. But the hissing eventually returned several times and each time, a little more vaseline eventually stopped it. But I do recall being told that was a bad long term solution and so, after 1.5 years of having vaseline on it, I can believe that the flapper is no good anymore. So, I will try a new one. Is any brand better than another for this specific model toilet?

By the way, the level of the water is not too high, in fact, it is decidedly low since, if it got too high, it seemed to cause even more of the incessant siphoning action back and forth. I was always confused by the bowl wash design, as to whether I could not allow the water level to reach where it seemed to be open procelain, so I kept the water level low. Once again, this toilet is beyond me, but I think Terry said it is a great design for a second floor installation and it is color matched to the sink and bathtub and pretty to boot, plus low flush, which is important here in thirsty Los Angeles.

All comments (including calling me an idiot) are welcome!

Thanks
Dean
 

Terry

The Plumbing Wizard
Staff member
Messages
29,946
Reaction score
3,460
Points
113
Location
Bothell, Washington
Website
terrylove.com
Sometimes the seal under the flush valve will leak on the Kohler one-piece toilets.
The seal between the porcelain and the flush valve itself.
Many plumbers don't check for that, they may check the flapper only.
 

deanalt

New Member
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
California
I asked Terry this over the phone (the site would not let me log in), but I'd like others opinions, too:

From time to time, if I put a little vaseline on the flapper, I hear no hissing or dripping at all for a couple of months but, then later, it starts again, and I have to apply more vaseline which, after a day or two, usually stops the noise again. I am told this will only degrade the flapper faster but, frankly, after getting a new red flapper and installing a new (1 BX-1) fill valve, that was the only thing that would work (Kohler advised it). But the fact that the toilet is noiseless for a month or two at a time, doesn't that mean that the seal in (underneath?) the tank flapper assembly must be OK?

Thanks
Dean
 

PhilW

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Inconsistent bowl fill

I've been having a battle with my Rialto 30 yr old for a couple of months. Replaced the old valve with a Cesco and it seems to work fine. Also replaced the flapper with one from Ace hardware. Everything seems to work OK with the exception that the bowl does not always fill back up. Sometimes it is Ok, & others it is very low. Does anyone have an idea how to solve this?

And, now to make matters worse, the flapper all of a sudden does not seat and the toilet runs until flipping the lever a couple of times. I've wondered if the flapper and the float ball are too close to each other causing the flapper to not seat. Have any of you changed the float ball to solve this?

Any ideas will be most welcome! Thanks very much.
Phil
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
The fill valve fills not only the tank (where the shutoff is), but it must fill the bowl to the proper level. If the valve doesn't balance the fills to both locations, the tank can fill before the bowl does. So, when you flush, the first flush doesn't work well, but leaves the bowl full. The next time, it flushes, but the bowl doesn't fill back up. And, it then alternates good/bad until you get a fill valve designed for your bowl/tank volumes and they both get filled properly each time. Most fill valves overfill the bowl, but it appears yours doesn't.
 

PhilW

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Thanks for you response. In my situation it seems there are only 2 ways to get water back into the bowl. One is via the rim flush/wash and the other is thru the flapper. Question: Could it be that the rim flow shuts off too soon? If I slowed the incoming water so the tank would fill slower perhaps the rim flow would run longer? Or could the flapper be closing too soon? If that is case I'm not seeing a way to slow down when it drops back into the closed position.

The valve is one designed for the Kohler Rialto so I'm not thinking that is the problem.
Phil
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
The rim holes might be full of mineral deposits after all these years, restricting the flow. So, take a coat hanger, and see if you can open them up some. The bowl gets filled by the hose going to the overflow and needs to be balanced properly so it fills the bowl by the time the tank is full.
 

hj

Master Plumber
Messages
33,600
Reaction score
1,037
Points
113
Location
Cave Creek, Arizona
Website
www.terrylove.com
Deanalt; Your description is too long and convoluted to read through the whole thing, but I did get to the spot where you mentioned the float rim valve. The 1B-1X uses a diversion valve to control the flow to the rim. IT is adjusted by the screw knob on the front of the valve. You have to cut off the large plastic tube from the old valve and then cut the clear plastic tube from the 1B-1X to fit inside it. The only FillPro valve I know of is a little plastic thing that sets on the bottom of the tank. If that is the one you are referring to it is NOT code approved and should only be used in horse waterers and decorative fountains. They were correct in saying that the "rim float valve" was not necessary, BUT you DO need something that replaces it. Conventional fill valves, such as Fluidmaster or FillPro, do NOT have anything that substitutes for it. ONLY the 1B-1X has that feature. The water should NOT spray out of the top of it, regardless of the water level in the tank, and when the tank is full the valve should shut almost immediately.
 
Last edited:

theref

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Bellevue, WA
Several questions:
1. Having the same flush and delayed leak issue.
2. Bought a seal repair kit at McLendons-the only place locally that seems to carry Rialto parts
3. The replacement plunger for inside the 3 screw top cap did not fit. I used the old worn one.
4. How do you adjust the water level in the tank and in the bowl?
5. What is the purpose of the lower float? Mine does go up but is under water by the time filling stops.
 

Terry

The Plumbing Wizard
Staff member
Messages
29,946
Reaction score
3,460
Points
113
Location
Bothell, Washington
Website
terrylove.com
The Kohler Rialto has many, many variations. We would need a picture of the inside of the tank, and any numbers that are stamped inside the tank.,
 

kwsundell

New Member
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Las Vegas, NV
The Fluidmaster 400A Fill Valve works perfectly and really cleans up the inside of the tank. I just inserted the refill tube on the Fluidmaster in to the clear tube on my Kohler toilet and was good to go. I had the outlet on the Fluidmaster pointed about 1:30 which allows you to sweep the refill tube around and in to the clear tube. Make sure you set the water level properly and you shouldn't have any problems. FYI, I just purchased a Kohler toilet at Lowes. It appears to have a Fluidmaster Fill Valve but with a red cap that says Kohler. If anyone needs a picture, let me know. Don't have to worry about that stupid float arm with the huge ball on it any more. It also eliminates any clearance problems between the float ball and the flapper valve. The Fluidmaster costs about $6.00.
 

KenS999

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
West Dundee, Illinois
I too had a leaky fill valve on a Rialto toilet spraying water out the tank holes and causing a BIG mess. A quick "temporary " fix was to put an empty "small" butter container over the top of the leaky valve with a slot cut in it to allow for the arm to the ballcock. It captured all the spray that then eventually fell down into the tank. Its the only toilet I have....and I can now use it till I find a rebuild kit.
 

jerry k

New Member
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
long island, ny
RIALTO K-3402 Rebuild or replace guidance needed

Hi folks,
I have a Kohler Rialto K-3402 PB from the early 1980s and had a plumber in and was told parts are no longer available to completely rebuild of the unit. Does anyone know if this is correct ? If not, can you advise on what parts are needed and where they can be purchased.
If a rebuild is not an option I will have to replace it with a new Rialto K-3386 (same specs as the 3402) due to tiled floor/walls.
Any input, pros/cons about the K-3386 would also be greatly appreciated.
I would like to thank you all in advance for any/all input.
Jerry K
 

Jadnashua

Retired Defense Industry Engineer xxx
Messages
32,771
Reaction score
1,191
Points
113
Location
New England
Unless they cut the tiles around the toilet rather than running them underneath like they should, then the tile shouldn't be an issue on what you use to replace it.
 
Top
Hey, wait a minute.

This is awkward, but...

It looks like you're using an ad blocker. We get it, but (1) terrylove.com can't live without ads, and (2) ad blockers can cause issues with videos and comments. If you'd like to support the site, please allow ads.

If any particular ad is your REASON for blocking ads, please let us know. We might be able to do something about it. Thanks.
I've Disabled AdBlock    No Thanks